Walnut Hardwood

What is walnut?

Walnut wood is obtained from the walnut tree - Otherwise known as 'Juglans'. It is capable of growing up to 40 metres high. There are 21 species, with the greater number now grown in North and South America. English walnut and black walnut are the most frequently used types for furniture making.

Walnut is a highly popular timber and has been used in the past as gun stocks and even as a herb in Chinese medicine. Also the nuts from walnut trees are edible and are globally popular. The shells are used for cleaning metals, fibreglass, plastics, wood and stone amognst many other things.
 

Why is walnut great for furniture making?

Nowadays, walnut is used widely in new cabinet making as well as being popular by antique furniture collectors. Walnut is a lovely dark and rich wood, providing a warm and luxurious feeling to any interior decor scheme. Walnut is a hardwood with a neat, straight grain and is available in a range of shades to provide for all requirements.

Walnut is less dense than oak and is in high demand from furniture makers because it will keep its shape when intricately carved. Walnut furniture is often crafted using walnut veneers, due to the expense of solid walnut hardwood. Quality walnut veneers with tight grains produce exceptionally attractive furniture that can be to a very special, smooth finish.

Walnut is a very high quality timber with a dense grain, this makes it the perfect choice for building stunning and unique furniture. Crafted from the highest grade selected solid walnut obtained from sustainable managed plantations.

The Walnut tree or Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are flowering deciduous trees growing to around 10 to 40 metres tall, with pinnate leaves between 200 to 900 millimetres in length.

The 21 species in the genus range across the north temperate Old World from southeast Europe east to Japan, and more widely in the New World from southeast Canada west to California and south to Argentina.

The two most commercially important species are J. regia for timber and nuts, and J. nigra for timber. Both species have similar cultivation requirements and are widely grown in temperate zones.

The common walnut and the black walnut and its allies, are important for their attractive timber, which is hard, dense, tight-grained and polishes to a very smooth finish. The colour ranges from creamy white in the sapwood to a dark chocolate colour in the heartwood. When kiln-dried, walnut wood tends toward a dull brown colour, but when air-dried can become a rich purplish-brown. Because of its colour, hardness and grain, it is a prized furniture and carving wood.

Here is a short video explaining the techniques used to stain and produce an everlasting finish for walnut timber.

Design influence

Art deco has it's roots in Europe, in particular the French capital, Paris. It was created in the early years of the 20th century, but didn't really gain popularity until after World War I. It remained in vogue right up to the outbreak of World War II.

This style was not just for the elite. By the 1930s, mass production meant that everyone could obtain in the art deco style. As travel became popular, this style was also influenced by foreign cultures outside of Europe, in particular Africa where animal skins, ivory, mother of pearl, and tortoiseshell could be obtained. After Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered, Egyptian pyramids and sphinxes were widely featured.

Our Shiro collection features some of the influences of this era, such as curved geometric and angular shapes, plus chunky robust design and the popularity of the rich walnut colours.

Construction

This range has exceptional build quality and is designed to last a lifetime. Solidly built and no self-assembly is required except for dining tables.

Joinery techniques include tongue and groove backs and fully dovetailed drawers. Features include stylish antiqued bronze handles plus a resilient satin lacquer finish.

Home office

The Shiro furniture range features several pieces perfectly suited to your home office or study requirements. The computer desks and workstations provide cleverly designed solutions to hide the ugly clutter associated with computers and IT. The filing cabinets and bookcases offer essential storage for paper files and books.

Practicality

Being robustly built to the very highest standards with practical design sense this furniture is ideal for the family home or any commercial situation such as hotel rooms and restaurants. The simple design and lustre of the stained walnut timbers allow this furniture to form part of many interior design decorating themes.

Stock and availability

It is usually available from stock in the UK for delivery in around two weeks by a professional furniture courier specialist.